The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-10-19
BRANDING YOUNG CALVES.
LIVELY SCENES IN AN OREGON
CATTLE CORRAL.
Difficulties Encountered by Cow
boys in Corraling and Branding
the EriskY Calves

AlOn IuluN1 AauhNos WV w WV 49,
Francisco Post, have not been happy ones
for the calves that have been browsing
around the borders Of this lake, for a
stout campaign has been directed against
them, and several hundreds of young an
imals have been marked, cut and branded
during the past few days. 1t would seem
that the three operations entailed vast
amount of pain upon them, but owing
to the toughness of the brutes' hides, the
bluntness of their nerves and their gen
eral easy nature, steer or a hciter does
not seem to experience more than mo
mentary inconvenience from the necessa-
ry mutilation.
This campaign calls for an extraordi-
nary degree of physical exertion on the
part Of the cowboy He responds to the
task with the alacrity of his ardent ma
ture. The principal part of this work
lies in the corrals, some five miles from
the house.
On arriving upon the stamping ground
it is the plan to split into parties and
thoroughly scour different sections OF
the country for cows and their calves
This is no easy matter, as the cattle seem
to band together and range for few
miles in small societies, and then again
a few miles distant another herd may be
found. This entails upon both horse
and rider a great deal of exertion, for
often the cattle are hard to drive, charg-
ing about in all directions and keeping
the horse in a state Of fretful excitement.
When, however, all the cattle have been
gathered in the allotted section they are
driven to convenient locality and there
IL lopI arrives from the
other section. Then commences babel,
the like Of which can be heard only
when near a vast herd of COWS. The
lowing and the believing that a couple
of hundred COWS can make has no equal
in the world. 1t is a regular swelling
noise, regular wave of diabolical, never
ceasing sound in all notes and keys, from
the squeak of the sucking pig to the
angry roar of an enraged lion.
When the cows have all been punched
together, then comes the somewhat diff
cult task of separating the already
branded calves and their mothers. 1t is
q duty which requires as much discretion
from the horse as from the man, as the
horse that knows his business will soon
recognize the COW and the calf that are
wanted, and will drive them out from
the herd with, perhaps, but little guiding
from its rider. The cows then are hud-
died together in a narrow plain which
borders upon the lake, so as to prevent a
break on one side Then two or three
men do the cutting out while the rest
are stationed on the skirts of the field to
drive back any animal which might
escape. Very often COW does make q
break, and then it is the duty of the man
nearest her to head her back into the
herd. The COW and her calf are as swift
as deer, and as sure-footed as mules, and
as the ground around the lakes is literally
besprinkled with badger holes, running
is accompanied with a good deal OF
danger. BY night time the cattle have
generally been collected, when camp il
made and a rest is taken for the harC
work to follow on the morrow.
Before five o'clock the men who are tC
separate the COWS from the calves are il
the corrals, and soon finish that work
Then comes the real trouble The fire fo
heating the branding irons is soon alight
the man who has to drag the calves from
out the inner corral mounts his horse anC
the play begins. The mounted maj
holds the end of long riata, while tn
moose is held by man on foot, who en-
tiers the calf-crowded corral and lassos tn,
calf The moose is slipped over the body
and is made taut at the hind foot. Blu
before it can get to the feet there is gen
orally trouble Roundabout the cora
bucks-4i--- ;alf, tumbling and sprawling
.z~-.1Tu -hellaYinE, Z, atRd Rd4raking al
indescribable confusion. However, thi
does not last long. The rope is 500
down by his feet the word ''pull'
given, and the calf is hauled to the gate
where man adroitly slips a moose owe
his head and forefeet Thus bound hea
and feet the calf is helpless. Then ma
slips out pocket knife, slashes its eal
into whatever fashion prevails on tn
ranch, while another applies the brand
ing iron. Thus in about minute frol
the time the calf is caught he is GU
marked and branded. The calf does NJ
seem to feel the mutilation in the leas
He doesn't seem to vince at the loppin
of his ears, though sometimes a shivt
does pass through its frame when the hC
iron scars an indellible mark upon j
flank But when over the calf hops gai
up aud trots up to his companions as
perfectly unhurt.
This is but a mild statement of I'll
case. The gentle reader need not ina,
inc that all that the cowboy has to do
to enter a corral and slip rope over
a six-weeks'-old calf and have hor
haul the animal out. 1t is by no meal
so easy. The calf never yields. He vi
kick, squirm, buck, charge, rush an
butt at everything. Though well mig
throttled to death, he will tug at the rol
which encircles his neck until the rope
ready to snap with the tension. Tht
the alert cowboy will make rush at Il
calf, and catching him on the side wi
bring him, with thump, on the groun,
while the rest throw themselves on hiI
with view to brand. The ages of the
calves that were branded ran from thr
days old to one month-there were,
course, some calves branded which we
older, but the majority of the anima
were of that age This will enable o
TO form some idea of the extraordina
strength and activity Of the calf.